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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398787">The Crystal Plains</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObtuseOctopus/pseuds/ObtuseOctopus'>ObtuseOctopus</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Steven Universe (Cartoon)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Animals, Childhood Friends, F/M, Family, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Illustrations, Lion AU, Lions, Pride AU</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 07:02:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25398787</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/ObtuseOctopus/pseuds/ObtuseOctopus</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>The passing of the king’s mate has placed the Crystal Pride into an era of depression; continuing daily life but without the light and guidance of Rose. She was the lioness responsible for the pride to finally be free from the pride across the Great River after all. </p><p>Now there’s new enemies, herds moving on. Among these difficult times rises Steven, son of the king Greg and Rose. And he was going to be the mightiest of all kings.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Connie Maheswaran/Steven Universe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Crystal Plains</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>// Yeah this is why you don’t let a lion king fan write a short story thing pfft<br/>Might continue this later idk yet</p><p>For some more context; the “pride” consists of multiple families living together and cooperating together to survive, so Connie and Jenny and etc. still have their fathers also in the pride, just not holding any important status like Greg is.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Aw, no! No! Hey!” The small lioness raced after the rhinoceros beetle, slapping her paw down a second too late after the beetle disappeared into a slip in the wood.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“You almost got him, Connie!” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not close enough though…” The cub shook herself off, sending dust scattering. “I’ll never go on a hunt if I’m that slow.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her friend, a cub sporting a curly black mane growing from his head, rushed forward to regroup with her. “They’ll let you go on a hunt one day. You’re the best hunter I’ve seen,” he complimented.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Thanks, Steven.” She suddenly lifted up her head, an ear twitching. “The grown ups are back!” She announced. “Come on, I’ll race you!” She took off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“No fair, you got a head start!” The second cub frowned, hot in pursuit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Or you’re the slow one now!”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Oh yeah?” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The two cubs tussled once they had matched stride for stride, rolling into the savanna dirt. Connie pinned Steven down, holding him down by his head with her front paws. Steven retaliated by rolling over, the duo never having a clear victor as they played.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Alright, the both of you, split it up,” one of the adult lionesses from the returning hunting party approached the cubs. “You’re going to get your pelts dirty.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’re lions, Pearl!” Steven whined. “We’re supposed to be in the dust!”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Pearl! I practiced my pounces today. Tomorrow can we go out and practice some stalking?” Connie hopped off of Steven, her tail flicking with excitement. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Hmm, perhaps,” Pearl replied. “It depends on the weather and if that rogue is still around.” She gestured for the two younger lions to follow her and the rest of the hunting party back home. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“The rogue?” Connie questioned.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, the rogue!” Steven exclaimed. “Pearl says that Garnet caught someone on the far end of the territory yesterday. Is the rogue still around?” Steven weaved in between Pearl’s legs.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We smelled them further into the territory today,” the larger lioness that Pearl had spoke of informed the cubs. Garnet bounded forward, scouting the surroundings just to be safe. “They’re scouting inwards.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be okay though, right?” Steven said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“We’ll be okay,” Garnet assured, placing a paw over Steven’s head as she passed him. She pointed her head up in the direction of home. “Let’s go home. I should tell Greg.”</span>
</p><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><hr/><p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p><p>
  <span>“The rogue again?” Greg sighed, lying in the shade of an umbrella thorn tree. The king lion once had a full mane of black and curly hair, now grayed and thinned from what some say to be mourning since the passing of his wife.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p>“They might be female, judging by the scent,” Garnet said. </p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Dad, we won’t hurt her though, right?” Steven fretted, sitting down by his father.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not normally unless she starts picking a fight with the pride,” Greg promised. He stretched out his front arms and let out a yawn. “Come on, schtu-ball. Let’s see what the hunting party brought back today.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Antelope,” Garnet stated. “Caught on the eastern regions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Eastern? That’s new. The herds must be migrating!” Greg smiled, standing up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Can’t we eat something else?” Steven frowned. “Something less… meaty?” He moved forward, matching his father stride for stride.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Well, less meat would mean less muscle growing on you,” Greg sympathetically said. “I’m sorry, son.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I know…” Steven murmured. “It just makes me feel bad eating something that was alive.” He slowed his pace, falling behind to let his father take the first share of the kill alone when they came up to it. His eyes lit up upon noticing Connie among the lions waiting for their turn to eat, and he joined her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Did your dad say anything about the rogue?” Connie whispered, staying out of earshot of her mother nearby. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Garnet says it might be a girl,” Steven began, “and dad says he won’t hurt her unless she hurts us first.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I guess that’s good,” Connie shrugged.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steven nodded. “Did Pearl say anything about taking you tomorrow for practice?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Not yet. I’m hoping she’ll take me though. My mom wants me to learn more medicine instead.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I’d love to learn medicine. I could help lions.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“It sounds fun at first, but it’s pretty boring,” Connie admitted. “I want to be a hunter, just like Pearl is. Kiki and Jenny made their first kill yesterday. Can you believe it?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steven’s tail lowered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What’s wrong?” Connie worried.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“I wish there was a way that we can prove ourselves. You could show everyone how good a hunter you are, and I can show dad that I can be a king lion even though I don’t want to do any of the meat stuff,” Steven said.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Steven, you know hunting involves meat stuff, right?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, but I’m not the one doing it. I mean when I eat, dad doesn’t like when I try to find alternatives.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Maybe he’s looking out for you. I don’t know a lion that survived without meat,” Connie pointed out. “But… maybe you’re onto something. Remember that rogue everyone was talking about?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about them?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What if we find this rogue and chase them away forever? Pearl would </span>
  <em>
    <span>have </span>
  </em>
  <span>to move me up in my lessons, and your dad would be impressed.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Steven thought about it, still talking quietly as the pride began to feast. “I guess…”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So how about it? Tonight?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“What about tomorrow morning?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“After the hunting party leaves?”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Yeah, that’s a perfect time.”</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Connie grinned. “Deal.” </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“Remember, tomorrow morning. We can meet by the twisted rocks!” Steven suggested. “And we will be helping the pride!”</span>
</p>
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